The Ties That Bind
by Elimon
Summary: An Original fic on the Hulk universe. Where a different person is exposed to the first blast of Gamma Radiation.


The Ties that Bind  
  
Author's Note: This is a small fan-fic. I dreamed this one up after playing The Hulk on Game Cube and it got me to wonder, suppose Betty Ross had become a Gamma beast like the Hulk. So, after playing around with the idea, and messing around with the origin of the Hulk, I came up with this. Disclaimer: As you know, the important characters in this story are not owned by me, because they are actual characters from the comic book series. If you don't recognize 'em, either you don't know 'em, or their fakes.  
  
August 14th, 15:28  
  
Elizabeth "Betty" Ross hurried throught Gamma Military Base, papers falling from her arms and flying behind her. She was hurrying to an important meeting, one that would determine the future of "Project: GAMMA" and her remainder of time working at the base. Panting, she rushed into the meeting room and sat down at a table. On her left was Dr. Bruce Banner, a mutual friend of hers. Bruce had helped Betty with research for her proposition, and had kept things together for her. On his left, was General Ryker. Ryker was power-hungry, harsh, and demanding; he'd make a perfect dictator. She turned her head to her right. Sitting next to her was Dr. Morgan Carbone, a drunken idiot who never did what he was told, but a brilliant man when he was sober. And lastly, on the doctor's right, was General "Thunderbolt" Ross, her father. He had barely been around most of her childhood, she'd spent so much time trying to get near her father. Heck, even now, she was still trying to do the thing that defined the so-called greatest years of her life. Why else would anyone come to Gamma Base, she had no idea.  
  
August 14th, 15:45  
  
Soon, the Director, Thomas Yorke, walked in. He sat down at his desk, then nodded for the meeting to begin. Betty rose, cleared her throat, then looked at her report "We have succeded in isolating the Gamma cells, and have created a "Gamma Mineral" a solid object, composed 53% of Gamma energy, 27% Sodium, 10% Gold." Director Yorke's left eyebrow twitched, a glimmer shone in General Ryker's eye, and Dr. Carbone seemed to immediatly sober up, calculations muttered on his liquer-hinted breath. "You're sure this composition will work?" Ryker hurriedly said, then backed down with a glare from the director. "Yes, hopefully within five days, and if not, two weeks at maximum." General Ross nodded. Director Yorke smiled "This is excellent timing. The President has agreed that Gamma Base can recieve a 20% increase in budget." Doctor Banner smiled, then rose "Well sir, then with all due respect-""Shut it Banner." Ryker glared at the scientist, who immediatly shut his mouth and then sat back down. Betty glowered at the man "Doctor Banner is allowed to speak Sir, that's why he's here." with a greatful smile, Banner cleared his throat "I was wondering... if we could have better equipment for expirimenting with the Gamma mineral." Yorke smiled again, clearly he was enjoying the progress that had been made "Done. Doctor Ross, can you oversee this?""Yes sir."  
  
August 19th, 03:22  
  
Doctor Banner typed rapidly on his laptop. Ever since Director Yorke had visited, things were now a lot more difficult. The scientists had decided to find a way to convert the Gamma Mineral into a substance that could be injected into the human body. Unfortunately, Banner had volunteered to figure out how to make such a compound. Rubbing his eyes, he continued going through different chemical equations. After reasoning the Sodium could not be removed to make it safe for humans, the computer asked if he would like to save the current data. Sighing, Bruce clicked twice on Okay, then rose and stretched. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a knock on the door jarred him into full consciousness. "Yeah?""It's Betty." yawning, he opens the door. She smiles at him, her eyes slightly circled from the pressures she was facing from working on computing the readings on the Gamma Mineral. "You finished?" He shook his head "Not anywhere near it.""Yeah, me either." Betty sat down on his cot "So then, we both have no idea what comes next huh?""And Carbone's gotten drunk again.""Hey, he thinks best when he's drunk.""Except the Christmas Vacation you took, when you left, and instead of hugging you good-bye or giving you a handshake, he grabbed your...." She laughed at the memory "Yeah, like I said." both of them laughed. Bruce ran a hand through his hair "My eyes... they're killing me...""Go figure." Sighing, she layed back. "Bruce... you got an idea what this base's purpose is?""Research, Exploitation, I dunno...""Who does?""Ryker obviously... the Director most definatelly... maybe your father.""...can we find out?""...well, it'll slow down the computation work.""So?"  
  
August 19th, 03:30  
  
Betty hovered over Bruce's shoulder as he typed through the mainframe of the Gamma Base's computer system "Hmmm....Hmmm....""What?""Well, you know about the security levels on this thing right?""1 for Basic workers, 2 for soldiers, 3 for scientists, 4 for chief personnel, 5 for the generals, and 6 for Administrative personnel?""Yeah, well currently, the true purpose of Gamma Base is higher than that. Sub-levels within the Security levels.""...Why is it so secretive?""Who knows.""So then, can you crash it?""I'm not sure if it's possible.""So what, is this some kind of Black Project?""Well, if it is, it's obviously secret enough that the public won't know about it... but that's all.""You sound like you're covering up for them..." Bruce smiled "Yes I am, and you won't mind me killing you about this information will you?" Betty smirked "Be serious Banner.""Okay okay." he laughed it off, then resumed typing. "Okay, the research is on... well well well... this is on the Pentagon's budget.""So I'm guessing the President knows what's going on?""Maybe, more or less. The person who definately knows what's going on however is the Secretary of Defense. He personally asked Director Yorke on the scene." she nodded "I get it... so Yorke goes to the military minds most willing to help him, my father and Ryker, and that gives him acess to enough funds in the begining, and the Pentagon takes care of the rest.""Uh-huh...""It doesn't explain what's going on though.""Don't worry, I'm on it."  
  
August 19th, 03:57  
  
General Ryker and his personal bodyguard, Major Jason "Flux" Morris walked into the server room. Sitting there, were 19 regular computer experts, but their visit was for the one different. At the north-west corner computer, was a 17 year old young man named J, a legendary computer hacker. Nobody except the director knew J's real name, all Ryker knew, was that after crashing the Defense Intelligence Agency's Main Server, he was dangerous, and so, the Pentagon hired him as chief of computer maintanence on Gamma Base. The teen stopped humming "Calm Like A Bomb." by Rage against the Machine, then turned to Ryker. "Well then J, what's going on?""One of your scientists has been a bad boy, snopping around on level 6 files.""Did you put a trace on him?""Of course." J spun his mouse in his hand boredly "Your perpitrator is a "Bruce Banner, Chief Scientist.""Banner....is anyone else in the room?""Did that too, the General's lovely daughter joined him, they talked, and then, the went a-hacking." he smirked. Ryker clenched his teeth together, If they ever found out about the purpose of Gamma Base, their research would stop and then they would have to hire new scientists...they were already on a tight schedule. "J, I want you to send a false trail to Banner.""What will the final result be?""...I don't know... a way to make soldiers immune to foreign diseases.""...good idea, I'll make a huge Password tripwire, then a false document."  
  
August 19th, 05:00  
  
Bruce and Betty looked at the final text after an hour of hacking "...Subject, Gamma Project, is ment as a booster for the human immune system... primarily for military use in tropical areas where illness breeds easily..." he shook his head. "All this for nothing...go figure." She blinked "What do you mean nothing?" Bruce yawned. "It was nothing serious... hey, can you head back to your room? I'm gonna need some sleep.""...sure." Betty left the room, then walked down the hallways of Gamma Base. Maybe she had been a little paranoid, but it was strange. No matter, now she knew her research was fine. Then why had she even bothered looking into it? Suddenly, Major Morris, General Ryker's right-hand man emerged on her "Yes sir?""General Ryker wants to see you ma'am, now.""Ugh, could it wait, I really need sleep.""The General ORDERED you miss, now come on." he grabbed Betty, then dragged her to the command center, where Ryker, and her father were waiting. "Doctor Ross... please, sit down. You have to forgive Major Morris, his loyalty overrides his manners towards women." the Major nodded at this, then went to guard the door. She sat down, rubbing her arm "So General, what was the problem?""Well, neither I, nor your father, enjoyed your little hacking incident just now." Betty gasped. They had traced them the whole time, and Bruce had been unable to preform a tracekill, because his computer was also going through equations for the Gamma Mineral. General Ross spoke up this time "I think you know we must ask, did Banner offer to do this?""...No, I requested it from him." Ryker nodded "Are you two more than friends?""Sir?""Are you, in a relationship that offers more than friendship to Doctor Banner.""...No, not at this moment." both of the Generals looked to each other, then Ryker nodded. "Good, now, you will NOT go onto servers that you have no buisness on again, and you can tell Banner the same.""Yes sir."  
  
August 21st, 17:30  
  
Betty sat in her quarters, thinking quietly; Bruce had finished making the Gamma Mineral into a liquid substance, the codenamed: Gamma Booster. The entire project was finished, and so, she was going to leave soon. This would be a true moment in history, and she'd be a part of it. And most importantly, she had been able to be around her father. Of course, they had a cool and work-only relationship in the base, but she had been nearby. And that was all that really mattered to her. Rising, Betty walked out of her room, to find Doctor Carbone, laying on the ground. Gasping, she rushed over, and found a knife in the elderly man's chest. A note was crumpled in his hand, and there was no terror on his face. Had this been a suicide attempt? She opened his hand, then read the note. "I/Need/More/No/More/Where/Is/It/?/Can't/Get/Drunk/Anymore/Where/Did/It/Go/?/" feeling slightly sick, she dropped the note. He had killed himself all over an addiction? Then, Betty noticed a paper in his pocket, hidden inside an empty beer bottle. Smashing the bottle, she grabbed the note, then opened it. "The Gamma Project's true purpose is not one I can work for. Sadly, Banner has finished it, and they will begin using it. Hopefully, I can inform someone who will take it up with The President. If the army uses the Gamma Boosters on humans, then it will turn them into Gamma-Energy enhanced creatures. The Army might already know I've learned of the true purpose of this base, so I must move fast. If I am not able to deliver the note, please, someone, stop this evil plot. Morgan Carbone, August 21, 16:00." she dropped the note in shock. Not only had he written this note today, it was only an hour and a half earlier! Had the army actually gone foward and killed him? And what did he mean by, Gamma-Energy enhanced creatures. Suddenly, she felt a hand grab her from behind, then as a cloth laced with cloroform covered her mouth, she passed out. 


End file.
